38# is going to mean certain death if you're into Olympic style. That said, I'm a huge fan of the 30# Aurora. Unless I need to be killing something in which case I reach for my R/D longbow. I just can't take 67# of punishment over any kind of duration. :::crunch:::

I'm to be given a reproduction Mongolian recurve as a gift. I say "reproduction" because it's just a funny looking wood/fiberglass bow.

It looks like that unstrung. I'll +rep anyone who can think of a safer way to string it than taking a tip into my insole, because the pouches on my stringer sure as hell won't fit around those fatass tips.

I'm to be given a reproduction Mongolian recurve as a gift. I say "reproduction" because it's just a funny looking wood/fiberglass bow.

It looks like that unstrung. I'll +rep anyone who can think of a safer way to string it than taking a tip into my insole, because the pouches on my stringer sure as hell won't fit around those fatass tips.

There's a guy who runs a horseback archery site that provides stringers with the bows that he sells (all traditional designs- Magyar, Mongol, etc.), you might want to check him out at www.horsebows.com

I'm a big fan of snapshooting rather than sights. Fred Bears' book covers it pretty well.
I'm currently shooting two recurves. I'd like a good longbow. My bird bow is a 45pd Bear Tiger Cub that I shoot with wooden flu flu's with judo points. Good for all small game. My deer and turkey bow is a 60pd York Ozark. I've been shooting aluminium but I've just purchaced some cedar. Recurves "stack", longbows don't, meaning a recurve has a secondary push as it releases. With thick walled narrow aluminium shafts I notice a bend in the arrow as it comes off the bow because of the stacking affect. This affects accuracy. I've found large diameter thin walled shafts don't flex in flight and have greater accuracy. You are sacrificing some weight penetration but this can be compensated for with a heavier broadhead.
Recurves and longbows are measured in draw weight at 28". Fow every inch you draw the bow more or less than 28" you add or subtract three pounds of draw weight. Your draw lenght should be determined by fully extending your arm and drawing the bow back so that the string is next to the outside corner of your mouth and have someone measure the distance from the dtring to the outside edge of the shelf on the bow. This is your draw length. Mine is 31". Add an inch to this, (some say two inches) and you have your arrow length. I use an inch as it's hard to find shafts longer than 32" these days. I'm carefull not to overdraw the bow and pull the broadhead back into my hand. Whatever shafts you choose to use make sure they are rated for the correct weight or they may collapse or shatter as you draw the bow.
Have fun.